SIU MAI These steamed pork dumplings are among the most popular and recognizable dim sum dishes.

SIU MAI These steamed pork dumplings are among the most popular and recognizable dim sum dishes.

On a cold day, the front door and windows of Beacon Hill’s Dim Sum House fog up quickly. Steam—rising from the many bowls of congee, plates of chow fun noodles, and baskets of steamed-to-order dumplings that fill its cozy dining room—travels through the air and clings to the glass like a moist kiss. When you walk in, you are welcomed into the modest restaurant’s warm, soy-sauce-scented embrace.

Angela Garbes began her food writing career as a freelancer for The Stranger in 2006, joined the staff in 2014, and is now freelancing once again amid writing books; Like a Mother: A Feminist Journey Through...